1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a boot assembly, and more particularly to a skate boot assembly where an orthotic insert is used in a particularly advantageous way to properly center, align, and support the foot from the blade of the skate through the main boot member.
2. Background Art
The structuring of a skate boot involves some design considerations that are somewhat different from designing ordinary footware. The base support structure is an elongate quite narrow metal blade that engages the ice surface. Thus, the support force transmitted from the ice is essentially along a single narrow line, and this force emanates upwardly from this line contact and also laterally to provide support over a broader area corresponding to the lower surface of the person's foot.
To the best knowledge of the applicant, the general design philosophy for prior art skate boots is to provide the blade structure, then design the boot, and then provide the interface of the blade with the boot so that the forces from the lower edge of the blade can be transmitted through the boot to the plantar surface of the person's foot. Finally, consideration is given to providing a comfortable fit of the person's foot in the boot.
With regard to the general subject of footwear, it has long been known that in many instances the operation of the foot can be improved by u of a proper orthotic. Quite often, the orthotic is in the form of an insert which can be paced in an existing shoe. An orthotic insert can be either soft or hard. A hard insert is a substantially rigid member, desirably having a relatively thin vertical thickness dimension and extending from the calcaneus area of the foot (the heel portion) to at least the metatarsal head area of the foot (i.e. that area at the "ball" of the foot). In general, the purpose of a rigid orthotic (sometimes called a functional orthotic) is to first position, and then to control the movements of, the midtarsal and subtalar joints during the gait cycle which the body goes through in walking and running, and also possibly for other movements.
However, the gait cycle which a person goes through in walking or running is somewhat different from the cycle which the person's foot goes through when ice skating. Thus, in providing an orthotic for ice skating, while there are many considerations that are common to providing an orthotic insert design for walking and running, there are, however, some special considerations for the ice skating motion. Further, to the best knowledge of the applicant, many of the design approaches for skate boots undertaken in the prior art have failed to appreciate the relationship of the dynamics of the foot in the skating motion, relative to the overall structure and operation of the skate boot.
A search of the patent literature has disclosed a number of skate boots of various configurations. These are as follows.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,727, Bourque, illustrates a skate boot for goal tenders. The blade support is made with a filler portion which functions as a foot protector means.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,537, Seidel, provides a skate boot having a support structure which supports the steel runner. A soft flexible sock is attached to the molded support and receives the skater's foot. There is a removable cover portion which is adapted to meet the molded support structure to fully enclose the sock and to thereby protect the skater's foot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,627, Sanders, shows a roller skate where the foot support portion is formed as a relatively rigid member. There is provided a plurality of attachments which allow the shoe to be used in ice skating, mountain climbing and skiing applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,892, Baikie, has a skate boot where the supporting structure for the blade comprises two walls which extend from the sole downwardly and inwardly to the location of the blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,147,455, Murray, discloses a metal slipper that is formed around a mold of the user's foot. The blade of the skate is then welded to the slipper and the shoe formed around the metal form.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,120,987, Murray, illustrates a shoe that is formed of a plastic material, and the blade is vulcanized to the shoe structure.